We are excited to present our new responsive website to Rhode Island. Here you will find information on various topics related to domestic violence and the work we are doing to end it. The site is designed to provide resources to individuals experiencing abuse so that they can get the help they need. It is also a valuable tool for people who want to help and for those who want to get involved. Check back often for updates, and share your feedback with us so that we can better serve you.

It's Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month! From now through Sunday, March 1, we're asking Rhode Islanders ages 12 through 24 to submit videos on Vine, Instagram, or Twitter that show what it means to help a friend in an unhealthy or abusive relationship. The 1st place winner gets $500! #KnowMoreDoMore Read More

At the RICADV, we proactively serve the Latino community, collaborating with Rhode Island businesses to further our reach to those experiencing abuse. During our public awareness campaigns, we have partnered with Telemundo, Providence en Español, and Latina 100.3 FM to help Latino communities know that help is available through our member agencies. Each agency offers diverse programs and services that can include safety planning, court advocacy, shelter, and support groups. Immigration help is also available. Access our website in Spanish by clicking the "Read More" button below or En Español at the top of this page.

The RICADV's six local domestic violence agencies provide a wide array of services for victims, including 24-hour hotline support, emergency shelter, support groups, counseling services, and assistance with the legal system. For more information about these organizations and services, call the statewide Helpline at800-494-8100 or click below. If you see or hear someone being hurt, call 911 immediately.

Last October, we launched our KNOW MORE. DO MORE. campaign in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Our goal was to help different sectors of the community – including health care, the workplace, faith, and Latino communities – take action to end domestic violence. When communities take a stand as leaders on this issue, individuals are more likely to have the support they need to act. That's when we'll see real change in Rhode Island. That's how we'll put a stop to domestic violence. Learn more about our 2014 campaign by clicking below.

As coworkers, employers, businesses and organizations, we have the ability to help those experiencing domestic violence. The workplace often serves as a location where abusers can readily access their victims, and relationship abuse can greatly impact victims' job performance in other ways, too; for instance, victims lose an estimated 8 million days of paid work each year due to domestic violence, the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs. These problems only serve to exacerbate the financial abuse that occurs in 98% of abusive relationships. An easy way to begin creating a safe workplace environment is to display materials on domestic violence in visible, accessible areas. Click below to view DVAM 2014 posters that you can hang in your office.

Health care providers are often the first to learn about the domestic violence that their patients may be experiencing and are in a unique position to help prevent future abuse. Listening to patients is a critical first step. During DVAM 2014, the RICADV connected with members of Rhode Island's health care community to help them know more about the steps they can take to address domestic violence. We partnered with the Rhode Island Medical Society, which published an article written by RICADV staff in the October issue of Rhode Island Medical Journal. View the article by clicking below.

Local Task Force of Domestic Violence Survivors Receives National Award for Innovative Solutions and Local Support for Raising Awareness

Sisters Overcoming Abusive Relationships (SOAR) celebrates Mary Byron award and success of domestic violence play, Behind Closed Doors, which was funded by The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) and raises awareness about domestic violence in a non-traditional format

[Providence] SOAR, a task force of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (RICADV) comprised of survivors of domestic violence, has recently received both national and local support for creating innovative solutions to raise awareness about domestic violence. Behind Closed Doors is one such solution. The play recently debuted to an engaged and full audience (including Attorney General Kilmartin) at Trinity Repertory Dowling Theater on December 10, 2012—The Women's Center Peer Advocates and Zeta Tau Alpha at the University of Rhode Island sponsored a successful, special preview screening on December 7 to help raise awareness about dating violence to a younger demographic. Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest levels of this abuse, almost triple the national average.

Attorney General Peter Kilmartin, who attended the performance, said, "It was the most compelling presentation regarding domestic violence I have seen. With real-life stories presented in a creative way, the play took the audience from early warning signs of domestic violence, to psychological control and physical abuse, to escape and finally ongoing survivorship; it encompassed all aspects of the cycle of violence. The strength of the fifteen women presenting their stories was inspiring on many levels. Everyone should view this play, especially young people starting out in new relationships."

Locally, The Rhode Island Council on the Arts (RISCA) gave SOAR a grant to develop and produce Behind Closed Doors as part of the Arts Access Grant Program. Established in 1967, RISCA is charged by the state legislature to stimulate public interest and participation in the arts and to serve as the liaison to the state arts community. The organization envisions a Rhode Island where all people have an opportunity to participate in the arts, where the arts contribute to the social, economic and educational well-being of our state, and where the arts are valued by all Rhode Islanders as an integral part of life.

BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF RHODE ISLAND:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island was the title sponsor for the opening night performance of Behind Closed Doors at the Trinity Repertory Dowling Theater. As a local nonprofit, the organization strives to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to them - from fiscal resources to the environment - to help all Rhode Islanders improve their health. They invest in initiatives and programs addressing critical issues impacting the health of their community.

TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY:

Trinity Repertory Company became a local supporter of SOAR when they championed the Behind Closed Doors play. Back in October at the RICADV press conference for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, guests (including Senators Reed and Whitehouse, Congressmen Langevin and Cicilline, and Attorney General Kilmartin) gave great reviews after witnessing a special preview performance of the play, which consisted of three individual experiences of domestic violence shared in three unique formats.

Michael Williams, Education Outreach Coordinator for Trinity Repertory Company, says of the his experience working on the play: "As a theatremaker and citizen, I am saying NO MORE to domestic violence and sexual assault by using the arts and theatre to shine light on an issue that has been kept silent for far too long. By sitting in a room with these incredible women, seeing their faces, hearing their words and sharing in their struggles and triumphs, together we can gain a greater understanding of domestic violence and sexual assault and charge ourselves and our community to enact change. It is a humbling experience indeed to work with such courageous, driven, endlessly creative women," he added.

National Supporters

MARY BYRON PROJECT:

Nationally, SOAR became one of only four recent recipients of the highly competitive Mary Bryon Award Celebrating Solutions to end domestic violence. The Mary Byron Project – Fostering Innovations and Strategies to End Domestic Violence – was established in memory of the young woman whose murder led to the creation of VINE® (Victim Information and Notification Everyday). As a nationally recognized thought leader on domestic violence, the Mary Byron Project cultivates and supports efforts that extend beyond crisis management to attack the root causes of this epidemic and help build safer, healthier communities. Learn more at www.marybyronproject.org.

Of the recipients, Marcia Roth, executive director of the Mary Byron Project, said "these are four wonderful organizations that are working tirelessly to put an end to domestic violence. The Mary Byron Project is proud to recognize them for the great work they are doing."

About Behind Closed Doors:

Behind Closed Doors is an original play written and performed by 15 survivors of domestic violence from SOAR. This performance is a true account of their experiences with domestic violence, hope and survival, and seeks to draw you into their lives to dispel the stigmas of this often misunderstood abuse. The script was crafted by Trinity Repertory Company teaching artists Michael Williams and Francesca Montanile, who mentored the SOAR members in cultivating their performances. The play was developed over ten 90-minute sessions in which the survivors journaled, wrote poetry and told stories that were weaved into a play composed completely of their own words. The women speak both their own words and the words of their fellow survivors. All proceeds from Behind Closed Doors benefit SOAR/RICADV in raising awareness to end domestic violence.

About SOAR:

Sisters Overcoming Abusive Relationships (SOAR) is a nationally recognized task force of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence made up of survivors of domestic violence. SOAR is the only group in Rhode Island specifically working on systems change that consists entirely of survivors of domestic violence and is a leader among similar groups in the nation.

SOAR's mission is to promote, advocate and work towards the elimination of domestic violence and to embody and give visibility to the voices of abused women.

###

Communications Center

Communicating our work to end DV is vital +

Communicating the work to end domestic violence is vital. Visit our Communications Center and The Newsroom to KNOW MORE. Read More

Public Awareness +

Raising awareness to end domestic violence is part of our mission. Learn how we keep the issue visible in our communities. Read More

Handbook for Journalists +

The media can help break the silence and educate the public. Visit our online guide for journalists covering domestic violence.Read More

In 2014, the RICADV celebrated 35 years of progress in advocating for victims and holding abusers accountable.

On October 9, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we commemorated this milestone with special guest Lisa Leslie, WNBA legend, four-time Olympic gold medalist, and supporter of the national NO MORE campaign against domestic violence.

We thank everyone who has played a part in helping us move our work forward. Together we can end domestic violence.

Visit our 35th anniversary page to watch a special video, view photos of the event (coming soon!), and more.

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support the RICADV every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at http://smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to the RICADV.

On your first visit to AmazonSmile, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Choose the RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence to support us. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make on AmazonSmile will result in a donation.

About the RICADV

The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (RICADV) is an organization dedicated to ending domestic violence. We were formed in 1979 to support and assist the six domestic violence prevention agencies in Rhode Island. We provide leadership to our member agencies, strive to create justice for victims, and raise awareness on the issue of domestic violence in Rhode Island.

Member Agencies

The RICADV's six local domestic violence agencies provide a wide array of services for victims, including 24-hour hotline support, emergency shelter, support groups, counseling services, and assistance with the legal system. For more information about these organizations and services, call the statewide Helpline at 800-494-8100 or click here. If you hear or see someone being hurt, call 911 immediately.